


-My Choice is to Be with You-

by kei_yairi



Category: the GazettE
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Angst and Humor, Attempt at Humor, Comfort/Angst, Drama, Drama & Romance, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, OOC, One Shot, One Shot Collection, One True Pairing, One of My Favorites, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Samurai, Shinsengumi - Freeform, Some Humor, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 08:23:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11940183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kei_yairi/pseuds/kei_yairi
Summary: Like a legend, we’re not going to talk about any modern things. There were no televisions, no androids, and no shinkansens.





	-My Choice is to Be with You-

Like a legend, we’re not going to talk about any modern things. There were no televisions, no androids, and no _shinkansens_. We’re going to talk about Japan that was still in its changing time. There were still samurais walking with their long swords on their waists.

That was the moment when western culture started to _invade_ the Sakura Country. There were already guns spread around the samurais, but many of them still chose to fight with sword. “It was much nobler than pulling gun’s trigger,” they said.

With sword, you had to look at your enemy right in the eye, didn’t you? Every man who had the right, and had the capability to swing a sword, ever saw glimpse of other people’s life inside the eyes of those who they would kill, at least once.

Taking someone’s life was never easy and was never something fun to do, even if some people had to do it in the name of justice. Not even a single drop of blood deserved to be shed. At least, some young men in _shinsengumi_ unit saw it that way.

Those young men had to make sure to their own selves that if they had to shed some blood, they did it really to pay the right _amount_ for justice. One of those young men, Reita, held the concept firm in his heart, and held it in high esteem.

That was what made Aoi fell even deeper to Reita’s charisma, one of the _shinsengumi_ ’s proud members.

*****

That morning, Aoi patted the lower part of his dark-orange kimono. He stood straight, and looked at the strong framed man who had just sheathed his long sword. Aoi smiled. He always cherished the moment Reita did that.

Reita devoted himself to the safety of the area where he and Aoi lived. That day also Reita was ready with his proud _shinsengumi_ uniform. That moment, Reita was busy adjusting his sword position on his waist and Aoi smiled at that.

“Reita-dono,” Aoi called softly as he walked toward Reita from behind.

“Hm?” Reita responded without turned his head toward Aoi.  
  
Reita’s sharp voice made Aoi smile even more. Cheerfully, Aoi collided himself to the fine-looking _shinsengumi_ ’s back. Aoi circled his arms around Reita’s waist, and closed his eyes. He inhaled the strong aroma from beneath the uniform.

Reita – finally – turned his head to look at the young man behind his back. But he couldn’t turn his head any further, could he? He could only take a glimpse at Aoi’s black hair before he sighed. “Hey, there,” he called.

“Hm?” Aoi returned the hum like Reita voiced out earlier. He was still smiling, and still closing his eyes. Instead of doing something else, Aoi tightened his held around Reita’s waist, stopping any movement Reita might make after.

“Remember, the shop is waiting for you,” Reita tried to warn Aoi.

“You’ll bring me there, won’t you?” Aoi said in lazy voice, as he rubbed his cheek to Reita’s back.

Again, Reita sighed, this time with a smile. “Is it okay if your friends might swarm over me again?”

Aoi suddenly opened his eyes and pouted. “I’ll hit them all with a tray if they dare to touch you.”

Reita chuckled at that. “Hey,” Reita tapped Aoi’s hands softly, gave subtle code for Aoi to let him go at last. Reita turned around, and lightly touched Aoi’s nose with his finger. “You can’t do that. You have only two hands, one tray, while there are six people you have to hit.”

“I’m going to hit them, not throwing my tray at them.” Aoi still pouted.

“Why don’t you let me hug them instead before I go to work?”

Aoi gasped at that and slipped his hand as far as he could inside Reita’s kimono and pinched Reita’s skin around his stomach as hard as he could. “Owowowouch!” Reita yelped. Two seconds after Aoi let Reita go and folded both of his hands in front his body.

“You… have pretty strong fingers, you know?” Reita rubbed his stomach – he still chuckled though.

“It can be even stronger than that if you want to cheat on me.” Aoi sulked.

Reita circled his arms around Aoi’s shoulder and pulled him into his embrace. Aoi blushed hard but he won’t let Reita see it. “I was just teasing you. Really, Aoi. You’re the only one I want to hug,” Reita said, smiling.

“You… you’re naughty, Reita-dono…”

“Around you? I am.” Reita kissed Aoi’s hair before he let Aoi go. “OK. If you’re ready, let’s go. I’ll walk you to the shop,” Reita said as he turned Aoi’s body around to face him. The _shinsengumi_ member smiled and it made Aoi smiled back at him as he nodded.

*****

Once in awhile, Reita dropped in for lunch at the shop where Aoi worked. Sometimes Reita came alone; sometimes he brought some of the other _shinsengumi_ members with him. When Reita arrived with his friends, it was a gratifying moment for Aoi’s friends.

“My, my. Dashing gentlemen are invading our shop!” Kai, one of Aoi’s co-workers, almost squealed. Aoi just laughed at that as he delivered several cups of green teas to the _shinsengumi_ ’s member’s tables. Aoi could see, at the other table, Uruha was flirting with Kai.

“It’s not as crowded as usual,” Reita commented when he saw other empty tables.

“Seems like the traders are still busy with their ships at the port.”

“Yes, traders,” said Ruki, one of Reita’s friends who sat at the same table with him, as he put his empty cup on the table. “We really have to thank them in some ways. We can get some of good weapons and armours because of them.”

“Correct,” Reita agreed. “But some of those products are surely too expensive though.”

“Ah, while you gentlemen are talking about economics I barely understand, I’ll prepare foods and snacks for all of you. We have special dumplings for you special gentlemen today.” Aoi chuckled. “Maybe Ruki-dono wants some more tea?”

Reita hurriedly caught Aoi’s hand and made Aoi stopped his step. “It’s pretty quiet today, isn’t it?” Reita smiled. “After you serve the foods, if you have spare times, sit here with me. You can go back to work anytime you want.”

“Haa…” Ruki nodded approvingly. “After Aoi-chan arrives later, I’ll move to Uruha’s table.”

“Hey, we’re not going to talk about anything serious, really,” Reita chuckled.

“Still.” Ruki smirked. “Rather than having conversation WITH both of you, it’s more fun to look at both of you instead. It’s really a nice view and we won’t get tired looking at you and Aoi-chan together. Right, Uruha?” Ruki winked at Uruha.

“Right!” Uruha cheered with a cup in his hand.

“Why is that?” Reita chuckled even more.

“Because…” Kai walked closer to Aoi. “Both of you were always showing that cute faces when you guys were blushing for each other’s existence!” Kai slapped Aoi’s butt, made Aoi shrieked, before he ran away fast from Aoi’s reach.

“Kai!” Aoi yelped. “You won’t get away with that!” Aoi chase after Kai as he blushed, deep red.

“Wow…” Ruki said in a low voice. “Hey, Reita.”

“What?”

“Can I slap Aoi’s butt later?” Ruki asked and instantly made him got a good smack in the head from Reita.

***+***

It was when Aoi and Reita hadn’t known each other. Reita had just signed in to the _shinsengumi_ unit, and Aoi was still in his previous job. After his father died, Aoi lived with his mother who was in poor health that moment.

Aoi searched another job with better salary, and that was when he met with a rich trader in the town. Aoi was promised with high wage. When the rich trader knew about Aoi’s mother condition, he even promised Aoi that he could take his mother to a good doctor the rich trader had known well.

Two days after Aoi worked at the rich trader’s café, Aoi met the doctor, and took the doctor to his humble house. Aoi introduced the doctor to her mother and told him his mother’s entire health complaints.

The doctor examined Aoi’s mother condition. There, he gave Aoi the medicine for his mother. He told Aoi to ask his mother to drink it every day. Finding new hope from the doctor, giving his full trust, Aoi obeyed his order.

He reminded his mother everyday to drink the medicine until one week after. Aoi was confused. Instead of getting any better, his mother got more ill. It shocked him when he saw her mother even coughed out blood.

Aoi ran from his house to get help from the doctor. Aoi didn’t even mind that it was already midnight. His mind was only occupied by his mother’s condition. But he cried when, as frantic as he was that time, he realized that he didn’t know where the doctor’s house was.

Almost lost his hope, Aoi went to the rich trader’s house. Aoi was really grateful that the rich trader let him in and didn’t mind Aoi disturbing his rest. There, Aoi told the rich trader that his mother’s condition was getting worse.

It shock Aoi when the rich trader closed the door behind them and threat Aoi. If Aoi wanted the rich trader helped him, Aoi had to sleep with him. He didn’t let Aoi leave his house except Aoi gave his body to him.

Aoi was panic, he struggled as hard as he could, but the brute man was much stronger than him. There was no café, and he was not a café owner. He was a swindler. All the time, he lied to Aoi. The doctor he introduced to Aoi was also fraud.

The swindler DID make Aoi trust him. That way, Aoi would do anything to pay him back. Aoi never got medicines for his mother. It was not medicines in the first place. His mother’s condition got worse after she consumed those things Aoi thought as medicines earlier.

It’s not all. Add more to it, the high salary Aoi could get was not from the café. No. The café was just some kind of training place in day light. The workers there would be sent to red-districts at night after. There was the real source of the high salary.

Aoi wasn’t the only one who was prepared to work at brothels. The truth the life served for him was too much for him to handle. Aoi screamed. He struggled as hard as he could as the swindler pulled his kimono opened, when the fraud doctor entered the room.

The swindler was going to sell Aoi to brothels. Aoi lost his hope. The grudge, anger, and regret were raged inside him. Among of all things in his life, his mother’s recovery was his priority but that was one thing he could not actually get.

“You’re so beautiful, my boy,” called the old man. Aoi could only close his eyes when the fraud doctor gripped his wrists tight and held in firm above Aoi’s head. The image of his mother flashed before his mind, and he cried.

He couldn’t struggle anymore. Aoi couldn’t even kick the old man who chuckled as he straddled Aoi. When Aoi lost his hope to run, suddenly noisy sound was heard from outside the room. The fraud doctor was startled at the noise.

Suddenly the room door was being broken open. Several uniformed people entered the room and they caught the fraud doctor. One of those men took off his _happi_ and used it to cover Aoi who almost got naked.

“We’re _shinsengumi_ ,” said the man. “This place is illegal and this place’s owner is a swindler. We’ve arrested him, so you don’t have to be worry anymore.” The man, who covered Aoi with his _shinsengumi_ _happi_ , looked at Aoi who suddenly hugged him.

The man was startled but he didn’t get the chance to say or ask anything when Aoi suddenly screamed in panic. His tears streamed anew. “Help me! Help my mother! My mother is severe ill! Please, Sir! Help my mother!”

***+***

“Hey.” Reita patted Aoi’s shoulder, startled Aoi, pulled him back from his reverie. Aoi looked around him. There were no dark rooms, and no frightening old men. He was currently at the shop where he was working at, and sitting beside Reita, the one who protected him with his _shinsengumi_ _happi_.

“I… I’m sorry… I was daydreaming… about our first meeting…”

Reita held his breath for awhile for that. He smiled and stretched his hand toward Aoi. “Come here…” Reita said as he pulled Aoi to his embrace, letting Aoi leaned his head to his chest. “It’s the past, Aoi. You don’t have to remember it.”

“I know… it’s just…” Aoi gripped the hem of Reita’s kimono.

“It’s over now,” Reita said. “You got a good job. You have good friends, and your mother is now healthy.”

“Yes.” Aoi nodded. “It was because you helped me, Reita-dono. If only that moment you didn’t found me, or if only you’re not the one who found me, I won’t imagine what would happen to my mother now. I know I was saved, but—”

“Whoever they were, if they came from the _shinsengumi_ unit, we’ll always try the hardest to help everyone, Aoi.” Reita patted Aoi’s hand. “Even if it wasn’t me, any other _shinsengumi_ who heard you asking for help would absolutely help you.”

“Including asking _shinsengumi_ ’s doctor to take care of someone they barely know until she fully recovered?” Aoi tilted his head a little to stare at Reita’s face. “She was no one for you, Reita-dono. You even barely knew her son.”

“Well, I know you now.” Reita smiled.

“Reita-dono, how could you trust someone so easily? What if I lied to you that moment?”

“Well…” Reita smiled. “That moment, I was just thinking, no one could ever lie in that kind of situation.”

Aoi followed to smile. “You’re right…” He looked at Reita who’s smiling at him. When Aoi was about to caress Reita’s face; Aoi gasped. He pulled his hand farther from Reita and looked away from the man before him.

“Aoi? What’s wrong? Why suddenly—”

Without looking back at Reita, Aoi pointed his finger toward certain direction. Reita turned his head and looked at the direction Aoi meant. There, Uruha, Ruki, and Kai were looking at them with – too – enthusiastic and curious faces.

Reita face palmed. “Ruki!” He yelled after that. “Wipe that blood from your nose!” Reita’s words instantly made Ruki wiped his nose, Uruha moved away from Ruki, and Kai helped him with small towel he brought with him all the time.

*****

“ _Tadaima_!” Aoi opened his house’s front door that evening.

“ _Okaerinasai_!” His mother greeted before she looked at the man who stood behind Aoi. Aoi’s mother smiled and bowed politely at once. “Good afternoon, Reita-dono,” she greeted him. “Thank you very much for bringing Aoi home.”

Reita reciprocated the bow. “The pleasure is mine, Madam.”

“Come inside, please!” Aoi’s mother invited cheerfully. “Aoi, stop giggling and serve food for Reita-dono!”

“No, Madam. Please. I don’t want to make difficulties for you.” Reita waved his hands.

“What are talking about, Reita-dono? This is no difficulties for us. I’ll feel guilty if I can’t serve you right.”

“Ah, well then…” Reita blushed as he scratched his head. “Thank you very much.”

“Please, please, Reita-dono, take a seat!” Aoi’s mother pulled his giggling son to prepare dishes.

There they were, inside the humble home, having light conversation, and or laughing toward each other’s jokes. Reita saw how Aoi’s mother showed her affection toward her only son, and how Aoi helped his mother all the time.

There, Aoi saw how his mother respected Reita very much, and once Reita told him that Aoi’s mother had taught him about how meaningful a single life was. On the other hand, Aoi’s mother saw how Reita cared for his son, and how his son made this house also _belonged_ to the _samurai_.

“Ah, what time is it? I’m sorry, but if you excuse me for a moment, Young Men.” Aoi’s mother stood. “There’s something I need to finish. Aoi, serve Reita-dono with full respect, understand? I’m counting on you.”

“Of course, as always, Mother,” Aoi replied cheerfully.

“Is there anything I can help you with, Madam?” Reita asked.

“No, no. This time, it is I who don’t want to make difficulties for you. But if you ask me, then… hm… let see…” Aoi’s mother hummed. “Ah, yes! There is.” She clapped her hands. “Can you help me accompany my little precious Aoi here?”

“Mother?!” Aoi blushed and Reita chuckled.

“What? But of course it’s a big deal for me.” His mother smiled. “I’ll leave the both of you for awhile, okay, Gentlemen?” Aoi’s mother smiled as she patted her son’s head before she exited the living room of the humble house.

Aoi’s mother closed the door and left the two young men there. They exchanged glances and smiled. Slowly, Reita reached for Aoi’s hand and held it warm in his hand. “Your mother is, as always, so nice to me, Aoi.”

“Of course. She won’t forget what you’ve done to us, Reita-dono. And she likes you. A lot.”

“Aoi…”

“Yes, Sir?”

“If… only… it’s not me who helped you that time… can we still meet?”

The question startled Aoi, but then he smiled and caressed Reita’s cheek. “Why, of course. Every choice I made and going to make in my life, I’m pretty certain it will always bring me closer to you, Reita-dono…” Blushing, Aoi moved closer to the shisengumi.

Reciprocating the gesture, Reita caught Aoi’s body and encircled his arms around the lithe body. Losing the gap entirely, their body now adhered toward each other. Reita touched his forehead to Aoi’s. “Aoi…” he called.

“Yes?”

“What will your mother say… if… I ask for you in marriage?”

Again, Reita’s words startled Aoi. He looked at the _shinsengumi_ , who smiled genuinely at him. Aoi covered his mouth, blushed really red, and got teary all of the sudden. Meanwhile, from the other room, Aoi’s mother smiled as she silently listened to their conversation.

On her lap, she stroked softly a box of _tsunokakushi_ , her headdress in her wedding with Aoi’s father.

  
**____....++++****・=fin=・****++++....____**


End file.
